"Wait ! What are you doing!? Aren't you just going to send me to prison ?! Are you even a hero!?"
A supervillain backed into a corner confronted by a vigilante
"Prison? No, hell knows you'll just try and escape again and not learn anything. A hero ? Also No. at least not from your point of view."
With that, you shot the supervillain dead. Almost immediately afterward you could hear police sirens in the distance outside the building you were in. You darted out the exit into the night, and you retreated into a forest not looking back. The police arrived to the crimescene and discovered the body of am at large supervillain shot and left for dead, along with a logo graffitied on the wall.
"They've struck again ! That vigilante scum is still out there boys!"
The next day You had made it back to your hometown Atreno City seeing your apartment complex in the Atreno hotel. You were in a casual day outfit instead of your usual black or dark clothing when in your vigilante persona. Nothing in particular interesting was going on, you heard recent news about another at large supervillain Penumbra from a recent attack with Atreno's number 1 hero Sunblast. You got on your laptop and researched everything you could find on this Penumbra woman.
Penumbra or "Penelope" was born on December 28, 1981. While nothing is known about her childhood, but was most likely a genius, presumably at the age of 15, given that in 1997 she was already attending Atreno University.
In June 10, 1997, Penelope published her first doctoral thesis titled "Development and Application of a Plasma Surface Ultraviolet Radiation Reflector Adapted to the Protection of Continental Glaciers," and was supervised by Professor Jared H. Judd. 6 years later, it was presumably unsuccessful as she published again on June 10, 2003, now supervised by Professor Abby H. Judd, likely a success, as she earned the title "Doctor".
In 2000 and at the age of 18, Penelope worked for Shi-Bo inc., whose was Doctor Minato Pappeto. A picture is seen having Penelope and Yukito Pappeto, the son of the CEO of the company. Possibly friends with the CEO's son who studied together. During this time, she worked on a project that was mentioned in his thesis, "The Environmental Glacier Protector Cloud."
On May 25, 2005, and at the age of 23, she presented her project at Shi-Bo's science fair at Atreno University. The device, however, suffered from a malfunction from unknown reasons which cause it to explode, releasing a strange purple toxic could that spread across North Atreno. But it was finally stopped by one of Atreno's special divisions along with local authorities. However, it affected Penelope who was standing next to the device along with 20% of Atreno's population. This caused her having a condition that became known as "Numbra Disorder", which Penelope her villainous identity "Penumbra" and started researching on finding a cure for her condition and ways of covering the sun so she wouldn't burn.
On June 21, 2005, 5 years passed after the incident, Penelope's contract was terminated by Shi-Bo Inc, due to that the company was unable to release ownership for Penelope's work and investigations without compromising themselves.
Two months later, on July 22, 2005, Penumbra tried to cover the sun again, but failed, presumably stopped by the superhero known as SunBlast.
Three months later, on August 12, 2005, Penelope was ordered by the city to pay them 24 million dollars due to her machine's accident and the development of Numbra disorder spread in 20% of the population.
Then on May 3, 2007, at the age of 25, Penelope, who lived in her condition for over 2 years, was in court for various crimes she committed as her villainous persona, Penumbra. The crimes that were described in two court documents, it was assumed that Penelope did these just to cure her condition by any means necessary, no matter the cost.
You decided you had found enough info on this woman, and decided you would head out to find her tonight.
________
As nighttime came, you suited up and headed out in the night, standing on top of the Atreno Motel scouting the city making sure no cops were nearby. You had found information on where Penumbra's hideout was, and where she went after her recent defeat in the hands of Sunblast, who apparently refused to send her to jail after defeating for whatever reason.
You lurked around in the shadows of Atreno City, careful to not get caught. As you were hiding in the dark alleyway behind a building you heard the sounds of a woman mumbling to herself seemingly frustrated as she walked along the the side street with a umbrella
"S-stupid Sunblast, and his st-stupid fans!..."
you not so subtlety peered your head around the corner with your mask on seeing to your surprise it was Penumbra herself, battered and clearly injured in the fight.
"I'd give anything to have stop bothering...me?"
Penumbra stopped as she noticed a dark figure standing in the side of the building seemingly staring right at her.
Penumbra squinted her eyes trying to make out the figure
"Hello?..."
penumbra gasped and dropped her umbrella when the figure stepped out of the shadows
"The Night Walker?!"
"Penumbra."
You said with a ominous voice modulator on.
"Wait...stop!"
Penumbra backed away as you pulled out a firearm
"Please...no !"
Penumbra yelled and darted into the other direction
"Running away? That's new..."
You then immediately chased after her armed following her around the city catching the attention of minor civilians
"Oh my god, is that Penumbra?"
"And who is that? Is that..it's him ! It's the night walker !"
A civilian shouted after noticing your symbol on your chest.
Penumbra stumbled and almost fell a few times as she tried to lose you in an alleyway and stopped to catch her breath in a dark area sounded by trash cans, as a few stray cats scattered in fright.
Penumbra after catching her breath turned back and saw he was no longer chasing her, in fact he was nowhere to be found as she looked around in various directions.
She wiped her forehead with her purple gloves hand and let out a heavy sigh of relief, placing her other hand on her chest feeling the intense hammering of her heart begin to settle down.
"Thank Atreno. I lost...him??"
Penumbra froze when she heard a woosh behind her.
Penumbra slowly turned around, and saw a black figure with a terrifying mask standing behind her
"Boo."
His modulated voice made her Yelp in fright as she fell backwards and fell over onto a few trash cans causing to fall over and spill on the ground as she stumbled and scooted against the cold brick walls breathing heavily in fear.
"I'm warning you...I...stay back!!"
Penumbra attempted to reach into her pocket for a weapon as you then pulled out your gun and aimed at her. She froze with her eyes locks onto the gun.
"Wait..please, let me explain myself...I'm not who I am!"
Penumbra begged in an attempt to reason
"Do go on.."
You said slowly lowering your gun
"All I want is to finish building my machine to block out the sun, so it doesn't burn me alive!"
"..What now?"
You asked
"M-My condition, see? I had an accident years ago."
"You mean The Numbera Disorder you caused?"
You asked
"I didn't mean to I swear ! I had no idea the experiment would fail as it did!"
Said penumbra
"And you are aware that it infected half the population of Atreno city, causing many people to look like you."
You said
"Yes. Yes, I know! That's why I've been trying and failing to build that machine which that stupid Sunblast destroyed a few hours earlier!"
Penumbra began to stand
"But unfortunately..I learnt that if I was to block the sun, that would be catastrophic disaster for the entire planet. That's when I tried getting a sample of Sunblast's DNA as a cure for my condition...but the problem is, Sunblast is..."
"An idiot?"
You finished her sentence
"I...I have a proposition for you, Night Walker, if you'll hear me out."
Penumbra gulped
"..shoot."
You said
"If I managed to capture Sunblast, I could work his DNA into a cure for my condition. A vaccine more like, and I could vaccinate everyone that's been affected by my very same condition. If successful, I can patent and sell the vaccine and cure everyone. And I can finally live the normal life I once had."
Said penumbra
"......."
".......so?..."
"I'll help you capture Sunblast."
"Really!?"
Penumbra brung her hands together with joy
"Oh, thank you ! I promise you won't regret this !"
She cheered walking forward so overfilled with joy she wanted to hug you, but you out your hand out in front of her stopping her, Penumbra stopped.
"I-oh...right, sorry. Come, my lab is this way."
Penumbra chuckled leading the way. Little did she know you had accidentally pressed your palm against chest.
"Right..."
__________
5 minutes later, Penumbra revealed her secret laboratory which she let you into.
"So, as you know Sunblast while a dunce is a force to be reckoned with. He is the number 1 hero of Atreno after all. But we will somehow need to neutralize him and take his blood."
Said penumbra digging through old blueprints to previous inventions she had been working on to take down Sunblast.
Upon looking around her lab You found an old picture of her before the incident. She was young and beautiful.
"Night Walker? May I have your assistance?"
Asked Penumbra
You turned to see her standing next to a large machine with an open hatch as she was fixing the wires inside, with a pare of safety goggles on.
"Yes?"
"Can you push the other one a little closer to this one? My new invention is almost finished"
You turned to see an identical large curved machine
"Fine."
You said
"Cool beans"
Penumbra gave you a thumbs up with a hopeful smile
You rolled your eyes, and shoved your gun back into your holster, and wanted no time pushing the machinery object "a little closer" as she put it, but as expected it was as heavy as an Empire State Building.
You grunted and almost yelled as you had been pushing and shoving the machine with all your might closer to the other, but to hers and your surprise you managed to get it moving, despite the fact you had been trying to get it moving for almost a full minute.
Penumbra finished fixing the wiring in the machine and closed the hatch
"Night Walker, I'm finished! Oh, that's good enough !"
Penumbra raised her hand out for you to stop, and you let out a dramatic sigh and fell to the ground, catching your fall by slamming your hands onto the floor.
"Oh, Night Walker! Your exhausted! And sweating! Here, you need to take this off."
Penumbra got up and attempted to take off your mask, you swatted her hand away on instinct
"No.."
You grunted
"But...you'll have a stroke.."
she said as you leaned your back against the machine
"I'm...you don't want to see my real face.."
You breathed heavily
"..why?"
Asked Penumbra
"...you...you just don't...you won't like what you see.."
You turned your head away from her, looking the other direction. Hoping that Penumbra would heed these warnings, all it did was make her scientific mind more curious, and eager to discover something new, just like making a big breakthrough in her laboratory.
Penumbra bent down to your level, and she slowly raised her hand out taking advantage of you still almost out of energy, and she grabbed the bottom chin part of your mask and became slowly raising it upwards
"N—no!..."
You grunted
Penumbra gasped, her eyes dilated when she pulled your mask off and held it in her hands.
Your skin was a pale as her, your eyes were as cold and dark with white dots where your pupils once were, and singed black hair.
"Y...y—your infected..I...I'm so sorry!..."
Penumbra whimpered
"I..I was caught up in that incident when half the population of Atreno got exposed to your...you know."
Penumbra looked down at your mask, and she sighed, feeling a tidal wave of guilt coming her way.
"I don't understand. It's my fault. I did this to you. I'm the reason you look the way you are, just like all the poor men, women, children, and animals look the way they do. And your a vigilante, you've killed many great supervillains over the years responsible for several war crimes. Why did you decide to help me?"
She asked looking back, and looking into your eyes.
You were silent.
"....I don't know...maybe, I saw an opportunity for redemption. Maybe, when I saw you, I saw a chance at being well again. I'm already discriminated against and shunned by my fellow human beings for what happened to me. Or maybe..because, I understood you to an extent. I looked your history, and found everything that happened until this point and I could see, that you weren't as evil as the media portrays you to be."
Penumbra was silent, she wasn't expecting that at all.
You then turned your head focusing your attention to the machine.
"So, would you mind explaining what this is?"
You asked
"Oh! Ofcourse! L-let let me just.."
Penumbra then walked to her controls, and she pressed a button with started up the machine, it flowed blue with electric sparks.
"This, is a shrinking ray machine. I planned to lure Sunblast into my lair and when I caught him off guard, I would shrink him rendering him powerless, so I could extract his blood and create a cure."
You stood back looking in awe at the device.
You and Penumbra hatched a plan to lure Sunblast back to her lab, to which of course you were actually the bait but you didn't protest, You longed to get a chance to finally end Sunblast. That being said, you were smart enough to know that couldn't beat Sunblast head on, despite how much you hate him.
So, you hatched a plan and gave Penumbra specific instructions to wait at the lab, while you went into Atreno in the night to bring out Sunblast, while Penumbra watched for you from a invisible drone, and coincidentally Sunblast was actually out looking for you specifically.
You found him flying in the sky holding a wanted poster of you with a million dollar reward if you were caught.
"Looking for me?"
You called out to him standing on a water tower.
"You! Your the Hero Killer!?"
Sunblast yelled
"And you must be the anti-Superman wannabe everyone in Atreno is praising. Needless to say, I'm not impressed."
"Oh, that's it. Your going down vigilante !"
Sunblast prepared a fist and flew down at full speed, to which you dodged the attack making Sunblast's attack to destroy the water tower instead, you touch down on a nearby building watching as Sunblast indirectly made water flood out onto the streets of Atreno turning it into a big water slide.
"Getting a bit out of control, ey Sunblast? Though, I wouldn't be surprised, seeing how you literally went to beat up a guy wearing a barf bag simply because he was a 'nerd'."
You stood there and mocked the false hero, as people then looked up in shock
"Oh my god. Was that Sunblast?!"
A man shouted
"Did Sunblast just break the water tower?"
Asked a woman
"But why!? Sunblast is the good guy!"
Said a child
"Adios amigo"
You then darted backwards running back to Penumbra's lab.
"Why you...I'll crush you!"
Sunblast flew after you taking the bait. Perfect.
The chase through Atreno lasted over a minute, practically a game of hide and seek with you and Sunblast, as you eventually made it back to Penumbra's hideout and leaped down into a passage way, as Sunblast then broke a whole in the ceiling touching down in the perfect spot.
"Alright vigilante, no more games! Fight me man to man!"
Said Sunblast as a feminine evil laugh filled the room as a chair then turned around facing Sunblast revealing Penumbra petting her mouse
"Sunblast. I've been expecting you."
She laughed
"Penumbra!? Wait, you and the hero killer??"
Asked Sunblast
"Indeed! An unlikely alliance, it is. But a dangerous duo !"
Said Penumbra
"Whatever-"
Sunblast prepared to punch her but suddenly couldn't move, as if his legs were glued to the ground, to which he looked down to find purple sticky goo on his feet holding him in place
"Didn't your parents ever tell you to be more respectful towards women?"
You asked stepping out of the shadows holing the gun that shot the purple goo at Sunblast's feet.
"Outstanding move !"
Said Penumbra
"Now. Do it !"
You said
You didn't have to tell her twice, as Penumbra then flipped the switch on the machine, Sunblast began to shrink in a puny size while he dramatically shouted no.
Once the machine powered down, you went and scooped Sunblast up in a jar concealing him in as Penumbra clapped with joy
"Wonderful!"
Said Penumbra then taking the jar
"Now then. You and I are going to have a long conversation."
Said Penumbra
__________
You waited patiently in the break room, when you then heard Penumbra shout with joy
"Yes ! I've done it !"
You then entered the room, seeing her hold a yellow glowing test tube
"I've got a cure for my condition!"
She couldn't see it, but you smiled behind your mask
"Oh, dear Hero Killer, I...I don't know what to say or how to repay you for such great service!"
Said Penumbra
"Don't bother. In fact, don't even mention it."
You raised your hand stopping her
"Well then...the only question now is...will this work?"
Asked Penumbra
"You mean you haven't tested it?"
You asked
"Uh...not exactly. But, not to worry, I'll simply drink it to see what happens."
Said penumbra as she was then stopped by you
"Wait. I can't let you do that. Penumbra, we don't know the effects this liquid could have in your body, for all we know this could have dire consequences, with bad side effects."
You said
"But...I have to, I'll-"
"No. I'll drink it. It's better if I be your first test subject, because in this case, your life is more valuable then mine. We need you to still be good health to make another encase this one is defective."
You said
"What? Don't be silly, your life is just as valuable!"
Said Penumbra
You looked down, and merely snickered
"If only I could actually believe that. But the truth is, I don't want you to get hurt."
You said looking back, to which Penumbra blushed. You then slowly took the tube from her gloved hands, and you took off your mask, then after taking a deep breath raised your head up and drank the 'cure'.
Penumbra gasped, unsure of the effects, soon biting her nails through her gloves, as you drank the last bit lowering your head.
After a moment of silence, you looked up, staring at Penumbra who stared back with contempt.
You grunted as you felt your skin and hair and all around entire body begin to change. You feel a tingly feeling overwhelm you, your skin peeled back into its original color, as well your hair and eyes.
Penumbra gasped
"It...it worked...I can't believe it, it worked !"
She looked astonished as she examined your hand, gently pinching your flesh which was no longer ghost pale.
Penumbra out of nowhere then hugged you tightly
"Yes! It works!"
She almost cried, and she then blushed when she realized she bright you into a hug.
"O—oh. Sorry."
She stood back
"M-May I?.."
asked Penumbra as you then handed her the half full tube, and she drank it without hesitation.
Also if immediately, Penumbra's ghost white skin began to peel away, and turn into a beautiful tan color, and her hair grew back long and black, and her eyes, became white with blue pupils.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and she was in tears. You too were astonished, feeling a joy you hadn't felt in a long time.
A few months past, and Penumbra soon forged the cure into a vaccine and sold it for other fellow citizens of Atreno and anyone across the world with her condition, and because of this Penumbra was able to start her life all over again, get her home and place to live, and she owed it all to you, her first ever real friend.
In the past few months, you were enjoying your new found freedom from the condition you once had, by going out for long peaceful walks at the park, enjoying the nature that surrounded you. Fall was coming, and thus many of the tree leaves fell on the grass, many in piles. These past months, you were so overjoyed with your new cured self, you kinda hung up your identity as the hero killer, kinda sorta leaving the rest of the public and the hero team of Atreno to speculate just what or where the hero killer aka the night Walker is now, and when he will strike next. On the more amusing side of the news show "wake up Atreno" the people of Atreno bought everything you made out to be Sunblast's fault months ago when he chased after you. He quite literally caused a lot of damage to the city of Atreno without him even noticing because he was so pissed at you, many people even getting fatally injured, and the other heroes of Atreno believing he went full on supervillain.
"Excuse me?"
A female voice called to you, to which you turned your head to see Penumbra herself standing there, with a big smile.
"My friend, it's been awhile! How have you been? Forgive if I startled you, I just haven't really been able to find any info on where your location is."
Said Penumbra shyly walking towards you
"Ah. Right, sorry. Well, it's good to see you again too, Penumbra. I trust your enjoying your new life?"
You asked
"Oh yes, I am. I'm now a trusted scientist here in Atreno."
"And honestly....I have you to thank for it."
Penumbra then walked closer to you. She never realized how handsome you were up close. And you didn't realize just how beautiful she was up close, especially in her human form.
Penumbra then twiddled her thumbs nervously blushing
"Oh...Penelope."
She said
"What?"
"My real name, it's Penelope Numan Braxton. Encase you forgot or just didn't know."
Penumbra laughed nervously
"Oh, yeah. I sorta forgot when I was staring into your eyes-"
You froze.
"....Oh.."
Penelope blinked twice, her heart skipped a beat as you two stood in awkward silence.
"Y/N. My name is Y/N."
You said
"Oh? Oh! Thank goodness, I didn't want to go around asking for the hero killer."
Penelope giggled pulling back a strand of her hair
"Well Y/N, would you like to go somewhere for dinner this evening?"
She asked smiling biting her lip, her cheeks turning with red and rosy.
"I'd like that."
You said taking her hand in yours, sliding your thumb across her palm feeling her soft skin.
The sexual tension was very high, as you two then fell into a trance, thinking of nothing other than the two of you together, as you leaned in and Penelope perked her lips, and kissed under a falling autumn tree.
Next : Miss Heed.